Minjee Lee on Friday shot her second straight three-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead over four players in the LPGA Tour’s Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
The 19-year-old Australian two-putted from 50 feet on the par-five 17th for the last of her six birdies at the tree-lined Club de Golf Mexico. She won at Kingsmill in May for her first LPGA Tour title.
“There’s nothing different I’m going do on the golf course,” Lee said. “I’m going to stick to my golf and take it one shot at a time... Still, two rounds to go and that’s a long way.”
Second-ranked Inbee Park, defending champion Christina Kim, Angela Stanford and rookie of the year Kim Sei-young were tied for second in the 36-player event. Park, the first-round leader, had a 71. Christina Kim and Sei Young Kim each shot 66, and Stanford had a 70.
Park is making her first start since withdrawing in China two weeks ago because of a cyst on her left middle finger. The South Korean star made a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-five second, and had three birdies and four bogeys.
“Not a great striking game today, but I still feel really good about the putter,” Park said. “Just a few bad shots, too many bogeys.”
She struggled with distance control in the high altitude.
“Whenever I hit it on line, is over, and whenever I get the distance right, is left or right,” Park said. “It’s tough with the altitude and I’ve been really struggling. I’m just trying to get used to it.”
She has four victories this season, winning two of the five majors.
Kim Sei-young, also from South Korea, won the event two weeks ago in China for her third victory of the season.
Stanford is coming off a playoff loss to Ahn Sun-ju last week in the Asian swing finale in Japan. The US golfer won the inaugural tournament in 2008 in Guadalajara.
Last year, Christina Kim beat Feng Shanshan on the second hole of a playoff after losing a five-stroke lead in the final round.
“It’s just everything about this place, the people, the culture, the food, there’s nothing negative you could really say about this tournament,” Christina Kim said. “It’s just wonderful.”
Norway’s Suzann Pettersen was sixth at four-under after a 71.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko is skipping the tournament to rest for her title defense next week in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.
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